The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood Critic Reviews

Once again, fans of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion can celebrate. They can look forward to rediscovering many well-known characters and locations like the Black Forest. On the downside, the main storyline is boring and our relationships to the new companions do not matter at all. Overall, the new expansion is worth playing for fans of Oblivion as well as for newcomers.

For the past few years, ZeniMax has been bringing wonderful stories to The Elder Scrolls Online and done amazingly with building out Tamriel. To see them bring Oblivion into the fold is fantastic. I can’t wait to see what the rest of Gates of Oblivion has in store for us.

A well-made adventure-kick-off thanks to companions and Oblivion nostalgia, however, it suffers from performance issues and a too spacious area.

I am a huge fan of the entire Elder Scrolls franchise, and have played ESO since beta. My absolute favorite Chapter was Elsweyr and that will forever be a hard one to top, but Blackwood was quite enjoyable. The addition of Companions is fun for both new and veteran players, but I am kind of left feeling like this could have been a DLC rather than a full-blown Chapter. I had a good time questing through the area and completing the main story, and the throwbacks to Oblivion with the story and portals were very cool. I definitely hope to see more Companions added to the game, even if it’s through the Crown Store. My only request is to add on to the already amazing story that is being told!

While Blackwood might not shake up the game, or make any huge changes to the core of what Elder Scrolls Online has become, it stands as another solid chapter to an already incredibly expansive game. ESO is my favorite MMORPG, and I come from a place of genuine love for the game when I say that I hope for something *more* in future chapters. I want ESO to continue to grow and draw in new players while retaining veterans, for another decade to come.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood feels like an expansion developed with a different degree of maturity. Rather than adding new classes or skill lines, it focuses on improving the new player experience, while also adding intriguing new story content and world events. The addition of AI companions also makes the solo experience much more appealing, although obviously you’ll still have to look for flesh-and-bone teammates if you want to tackle tougher trials and events. Overall, a solid expansion pack, although we wish we could have had a better look at the Seal of Endeavors system.

In the end, The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood provides enough intrigue and content to whet one's appetite for new experiences, but won't be enough to fully satiate every player. Thwarting the Daedric machinations of Mehrunes Dagon and the Order of the Waking Flame is a fun experience, even if the current story didn't have a satisfying conclusion. It is absolutely clear that the developers put immense effort into the creation of Blackwood, from its sound and level designs to some of its more haunting and hellish landscapes.

Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood expantion offers more of the same, but that's not a bad thing. Elder Scrolls Onlinehas a pretty decent formula and Blackwood is a decent extent of the core game. Companions are the best supplement for the game, that reminds me of Bioware's golden era. The random portals that force exploration and drive you sideways are solid. I wish the quest line would be less predictable and the fights would be harder to beat. But all in all this is a great DLC to own.

In the end, Blackwood improves where Greymoor stumbled. The setting is tighter and more focused than last time, and the performance at launch harkens back to prior launches during the Before Times. The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood is a good addition to the MMO’s expansion roster, and one that’ll be a definite draw for those who remember walking the streets of Cyrodiil fondly once upon a time.

A huge expansion with good content quality and quantity. Designed to encourage new players to join this adventure for the first time rather than satisfy the old school players' needs.

Over the course of its expansions, The Elder Scrolls Online continues to deliver what is expected of it ... or almost. With Blackwood, the content available is certainly interesting, especially when you are a fan of Oblivion, but you should not expect more. By choosing to direct it towards new players, Zenimax Online is probably forgetting its hard core a little on the side of a road that is too monotonous. The observation made in 2019 as in 2020 is therefore the same here, and what could be understandable at the time is much less so in 2021 when the competition sometimes competes with ingenuity to surprise us. A first warning shot that must however be weighed in view of the work carried out on the lore, which is still as fascinating as ever.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood delivers more of the same – albeit this new helping is a step up from last year’s Greymoor expansion in its often funny writing and striking map layout. Blackwood leans hard on its nostalgia, but it actually manages to feel like an appropriate prequel to Oblivion without forcing you down too many of the same paths. Its companion system is definitely worth checking out, too, but it may not be enough gameplay variety to recommit a fan who is tired of ESO in general. For those of us who are still happily jogging along on the treadmill, though, there’s plenty to do and see here, if for no other reason than to simply fortify your understanding of Elder Scrolls lore.

Blackwood is a brilliant throwback to Oblivion, but it feels like a starting point for a grander tale. Players going into Blackwood expecting a full-fat expansion experience will feel slightly letdown. Its dedication to 2006s Cyrodill shines through with the spaced out content making the overall zone feel a little empty. Still, the content itself is a job well done, ticking all the boxes to keep players entertained, but new features like Blackwood's companions work best when revisiting older zones.

Though Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood piqued my interest because of its familiar characters and areas, and though they were exciting for a short time, I never found myself excited to push on in this chapter.

If it has been a while since you have visited Tamriel, then Blackwood is definitely a great place to jump back into The Elder Scrolls Online. There will be a familiarity to the game, as the new features of Companions and Oblivion Portal do not add too much to the game. Whereby the Greymoor expansion added Antiquities, Blackwood simply offers a friend to journey by your side. But in saying that, these companions are a welcome addition to the online RPG – allowing those singleplayer types to enjoy a pseudo multiplayer experience.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood offers a lot of new content, just like previous chapters for the popular MMO. The storyline and new region does feel a bit less special than heavy-hitters like Elsweyr and Summerset and the expansion doesn't offer any new classes and skill lines. It's not a bad chapter, but it's by far the weakest expansion for ESO so far.

ESO: Blackwood is familiar territory for fans of the universe. While it provides heaps of armour sets to collect, enemies to defeat, and captivating characters to meet, it won’t be anyone’s favourite. This chapter of the MMO lacks an unseen and astounding setting, like Elsywere and Summerset had before it. The chapter relies on nostalgia, where that hole was filled with the previous Greymoor chapter. Lacking player versus player content, a memorable main story, and environments, Blackwood just isn’t up to scratch. However, as a complete package, The Elder Scrolls Online continues to be one of the best quality MMO experiences.

ESO Blackwood feels and plays more like an interim update than a significant new expansion. That could change with new additions over the next year, but I think it’s time for ZeniMax to step back and take longer than a year to create these new expansions. Fan service is fine, but it should be anchored to something more solid and substantial as well to make it worthwhile. Until that happens, just wait for a sale.

Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood is a solid expansion to ZeniMax's popular MMORPG, explaining the rise of Mehrunes Dagon and introducing new mechanics that can be expanded upon in future chapters. Fans of Elder Scrolls Online are likely to find something they really enjoy about the Blackwood zone and story despite some of the drawbacks, and new and solo players can have a much better experience diving in and facing challenges if they start with Blackwood, thanks to the new features.

A good choice for nostalgic players, but it should have had more new contents.